Sarabi the work of art...

Dear Pet Column,

 

I noticed that Second Chance Humane Society is hosting a new event at the Telluride Conference Center this month called “Paws for Art,  which looks like a great event that I will be attending, but I am wondering if you are still hosting the Telluride Fur Ball this year as well?

Sincerely, Fur Ball Fan

Dear Fur Ball Fan,

In a year where every dollar matters more than ever, Second Chance wanted to try a fresh new approach to its singular fundraising event within San Miguel County.   The Fur Ball, an event that allowed dog parents a uniquely fun “night on the town” with their dogs limited the demographic appeal to our event which supported our shelter programs and operations.  Thus, we decided to broaden the nature of the event to beyond that of dogs and their parents.  Paws for Art makes it possible for all variations of animal lovers to attend our fun event.  In fact, anyone looking for an entertaining way to support a very excellent cause will want to attend this new and dynamic event!

Paws for Art debuts Saturday, July 18 at the Telluride Conference Center in Mountain Village from 4-7 PM.  The highlights feature silent and live auctions as well as a complimentary wine, beer and delectable hors d’oeuvres for only $35.00 per ticket!  There will also be lively music to accompany the evening performed by Tony Rosario (a national caliber professional musician who performs soulful and energetic music) and DJ Antone will be setting the mood in between with his wide array of tunes.

To further “freshen” the event (and cut overall expenses), Paws for Art will not be serving dinner but has scheduled the event to fall at the pre-dinner hours of 4-7 PM so that guests can take advantage of the complimentary wine (4-6 PM) and beer, and cash bar all evening, and bid on some wonderful art and other auction items before heading out to dinner elsewhere.

So to best answer your question, Fur Ball Fan, although dogs will not be attending this event, animal lovers of all kinds will, as well as those just wanting an enjoyable evening that supports a great purpose.   (As the only local non-profit humane society in the region, Second Chance Humane Society rescues and re-homes hundreds of pets each year as well as offers numerous community services such as a Spay/Neuter Financial Assistance Program).

Tickets are available at the door and you can call Event Planner Lisa Katz at 970.729.2586 or email her at: lisa@secondchancehumanesociety.com for further information.  We are still enrolling volunteers who are interested in supporting this event in exchange for free admittance.

My name is Sarabi a gorgeous 3 month kitten here at the Second Chance Shelter.  I am excited about Paws for Art as I am hoping that my photo will be selected as an auction item.  I think it will bring in some good money – as I consider myself a true work of art!  Come meet me today…

Call the Second Chance Helpline at 626-2273 to report a lost pet, learn about adopting a homeless pet, or about the SCHS Spay/Neuter Financial Assistance, Volunteer & Foster Care, or other Programs.  Visit our shelter pets online: www.secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Direct Pet Column questions to:  kelly@secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Photo by Real Life Photographs.

Jody the bookworm

A major aspect of the mission of Second Chance Humane Society is about promoting the human-animal bond.  Second Chance feels that in recognizing this natural bond people will ultimately become more responsive to the physical and emotional needs of pets and humane and responsible treatment of pets will become the norm. 

Along this theme, one of my favorite authors, Temple Grandin, has published a new book “Animals Make Us Human” (she also authored the bestseller “Animals in Translation”) which focuses on emotions as the key to the welfare and well-being of animals.  This book helps readers to recognize how natural and innate the human-animal connection is as we both share the same basic set of core emotions and desires. 

If humans recognized that the same emotion systems you are born with are shared with animals (such as seeking and fear), perhaps a better understanding of how animals respond to these emotions could evolve.  A human recognition of yourselves through your pets may be the best training tool you could apply.

Grandin also makes a strong case for the need for dogs like me to bond with humans, more than any other species on the planet as we are more tuned in to people than any other species.  For example, unlike wolves or chimpanzees, we are the only animals that can follow a person’s gaze or pointing finger.  As we are genetic wolves that evolved to live and communicate with humans she also is finding that applying some of the “wolf pack” training systems may not be as effective as we thought.

Grandin reviews thirteen years of research on wolf packs in the Northwest Territories of Canada and elaborates on the point that, “In the wild, wolves don’t live in wolf packs, and they don’t have an alpha male who fights the other wolves to maintain his dominance”.  Wait a minute???  What???  So our whole image of wolf packs and alphas is wrong?!?!?  Oh boy…

The research shows that wolves actually live as human families do with parents and siblings and an occasional adopted relative wolf “aunt”.  The research that led us to believe that wolves live in packs was done on wolves living in captivity who always tended to create “unnatural family systems”.  The dominance hierarchy evolved from a group of unrelated wolves who were put together by humans.  But in the wild wolves do not rely on dominance hierarchies to keep peace and order.  Uh-oh, what is Caesar going to do with this information?

I will leave you with some closing thoughts.  You can either read Grandin’s book or a follow up Pet Column, both of which will further explore questions such as: If dogs are wolves and wolves don’t need pack leaders, do dogs need pack leaders?  Did dogs instead evolve to live with human families and thus need a mom and a dad rather than a pack leader?  Or, are dogs living with human families more reflective of a forced unrelated wolf pack, in which an alpha is required?

My name is Jody and I am looking for a new family that will honor my emotional and physical needs and let me read all the interesting books that I want.  I am a 3 month old Rottweiler mix with sweet puppy breath and an abundance of kisses to share.  Come snuggle me today!

Call the Second Chance Helpline at 626-2273 to report a lost pet, learn about adopting a homeless pet, or about the SCHS Spay/Neuter Financial Assistance, Volunteer & Foster Care, or other Programs.  Visit our shelter pets online: www.secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Direct Pet Column questions to:  kelly@secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Photo by Real Life Photographs.

Paisley Puckers Up

Dear Pet Column Readers,

I am following up on a recent Second Chance Humane Society Pet Column that discussed the topic of helping children cope with the loss of a pet.  In this Pet Column I will share what to say and what not to say when discussing a pet’s death with a child. 

Marty Tously, a bereavement counselor and author of Children and Pet Loss: A Guide for Helping, explains that the worst course of action is to lie or use confusing euphemisms, such as the phrase “put to sleep.” She states, “Later in life, when the child learns the truth, they’ll wonder what else the parent lied about.”

Likewise, euphemisms can cause anxiety or confusion because children take what you say literally. “If you say a pet is put to sleep, the child may suffer sleep anxiety,” says Tously.  She encourages parents to just be open and honest, including during discussions of the pet’s health and euthanasia. “If a pet is terminally ill and needs to be euthanized,” Tously says, “the child needs to be told as soon as possible by the parent.” Use the words death and dying to make your meaning clear.

Make sure the child understands what “dying” means. Explain that the animal’s body stopped working. Depending on your religious or spiritual beliefs and what the child can understand, you might explain the concept of a soul. However, it is important for the child to know that the pet has died and will not be coming back.

When it’s time, and where applicable, allow all of the family members an opportunity to say good-bye to the pet. Some veterinarians will even come to your home to perform the euthanasia. This is an individual decision and may not be appropriate in all situations. The term “euthanasia” means “gentle death,” and when done by a caring professional, can be very releasing for a family whose pet experienced a painful illness.

Be available to let your child discuss his/her feelings about what happened. Show your own feelings. This tells the child that the pet was special and that they are not grieving alone.  You may want to hold your own service to memorialize the pet and to say goodbye formally.  Some people plant trees in a special spot in the yard, others bury the pet in a cemetery and plant flowers so the family can visit.

A few more ways to creatively memorialize a pet are to encourage children to draw pictures of their pet, make a scrapbook with photos of the pet and family members, and write memories beneath. Humorous instances should be included on the pages – which can help develop associations with happiness each time the book is opened.

Sometimes parents want to ease their child’s hurt by rushing out and buying another pet. Tously says this is a mistake. “The last thing you want to do is convey the impression that the pet – a family member – is replaceable,” she says. Wait until the child expresses an interest in another pet.

My name is Paisley, I am a young and lovely Tonkinese mix female cat here at the Second Chance Shelter.  As you can see by my photo I am very affectionate and would make a wonderful addition to any family who enjoys cat kisses and snuggles.  Come visit me today!

Call the Second Chance Helpline at 626-2273 to report a lost pet, learn about adopting a homeless pet, or about the SCHS Spay/Neuter Financial Assistance, Volunteer & Foster Care, or other Programs.  Visit our shelter pets online: www.secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Direct Pet Column questions to:  kelly@secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Photo by Real Life Photographs.

LaJolla the Lovely

Second Chance Humane Society and I are firmly against breed-discriminatory legislation.  Breed ban laws exist in approximately 300 different U.S. communities and involve regulating or banning certain breeds of dogs based solely on their lineage, with no regard to the animal’s behavior or temperament.

Fortunately our dog-friendly and progressive region does not have a need or interest in such bans but it is a growing concern nation-wide.  Not only is it discriminatory against a breed of dog known to be an ideal family pet, but new research exposes a high taxpayer cost to ban bull breeds.

An economic study commissioned by Best Friends Animal Society utilized a variety of federal government and other data to develop an online “Fiscal Impact Calculator”.  Best Friends says this tool will help state and local governmental entities calculate the true cost of implementing and enforcing breed-discriminatory laws. The analysis shows that many communities that try to enforce this type of law really don’t have the infrastructure or resources to make it work.

The bottom line is that it would cost governmental entities in excess of $450 million to enforce a nationwide ban on pit bulls, which would include costs of enforcement, kenneling and veterinary care, euthanizing and disposal, litigation and DNA testing.

Other key findings of the study are that there are approximately 72.1 million dogs in the United States, of which approximately five million (6.9 percent) can be described as pit bulls or pit bull mixes based solely on their appearance. 

In some cities, such as Denver, animal control authorities can take a family’s dog away because it is a pit bull or simply resembles a pit bull. Pit bulls usually include the pure breeds such as the American pit bull terrier, the American Staffordshire terrier, or the Staffordshire bull terrier, but there are many mixed breed dogs that share lineage of the above-named pure breeds, along with many short-haired muscular dogs that are confused for pit bulls.

Ledy VanKavage, senior legislative analyst for Utah-based Best Friends states, “If you take someone’s property away the burden of proof is on the government to prove that the pet is subject to the law, which means they must prove it is a pit bull. That becomes an extensive, costly battle that could require DNA testing to see if the dog actually is subject to the ban.”

Additionally, breed discriminatory legislation tends to exhaust limited resources in already under-funded animal control programs by flooding the system with potentially “unadoptable” dogs due to the ban. Such bans are essentially canine racial profiling, a misguided attempt to reduce fatalities and injuries caused by dogs.  Breed identification allows for the possibility for error by allowing legally permitted dogs to be captured and euthanized based solely on a person’s opinion on the dog’s breed make-up.  

There is no proof that violent behavior is hereditary.  A dog’s tendency to bite is typically affected by such environmental factors as improper socialization and training, and whether the dog is unaltered or not.  VanKavage states, “many people view this as a property rights issue—‘as long as I’m a responsible dog owner, I should be allowed to have whatever breed of dog I choose.’ The key here is being responsible. Reckless or negligent owners should be prevented from owning any breed of dog.”

Second Chance Humane Society and I support Best Friend’s Animal Sanctuary’s efforts to restore the breed’s reputation and encourage humane treatment of all dogs, regardless of breed. My name is LaJolla, a shelter dog here at Second Chance waiting for a new family to take me home.  I don’t even resemble a Bull breed but am writing as a concerned dogizen.  For more information on this campaign visit: savingamericasdog.com.

Call the Second Chance Helpline at 626-2273 to report a lost pet, learn about adopting a homeless pet, or about the SCHS Spay/Neuter Financial Assistance, Volunteer & Foster Care, or other Programs.  Visit our shelter pets online: www.secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Direct Pet Column questions to:  kelly@secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Photo by Real Life Photographs.

Dear Pet Column Readers,

My name is Tigger and I am a handsome 4 year old cat here at the Second Chance Shelter.  As the host of this week’s Pet Column I will be discussing how to help children cope with the loss of a pet.  This is an important topic for any family and so involved that I will not be able to cover the entire topic in one Pet Column.  Thus, this is one in a series of Columns exploring this topic. 

Death and dying are two of the hardest realities of life to explain to children. Very often, the death of a family pet is a child’s first encounter with this immutable law of nature. How this event is handled can have a far-reaching impact on a child’s understanding of death and dying.

A child’s level of understanding of death depends on his or her age. Older children can grasp the finality of death while younger children often view their relationship with a pet as indefinite. They don’t understand that animals run on a different biological clock, or that illness or injury may make euthanasia the best option.

Marty Tously, a bereavement counselor and author of Children and Pet Loss: A Guide for Helping states that, “At all ages, honesty is the best policy. That means using the words death and dying, and explaining the permanence of death. You do it gently but without confusing what dying actually means.”

Tously also states that a child’s ability to understand what death means depends on his/her emotional and cognitive development, she has outlined the generally understood guideline of how children perceive death and dying:

Under 2: A child can feel and respond to a pet’s death, based on the reaction of those around him or her. A child picks up the stress felt by family members, no matter what the cause.

2 to 5: The child will miss the animal as a playmate, but not necessarily as a love object. They will see death as a temporary state – something like the way leaves fall off a tree in fall but grow back in the spring. They may react to the trauma around them through regression, such as thumb sucking or temper tantrums.

5 to 9: Children begin to perceive death as permanent, but they may indulge in “magical thinking,” believing that death can be defied or bargained with. This is also the period when children recognize a correlation between what they think and what happens. Parents need to reassure children that they did not cause the pet’s death nor can they reverse it.

10 and up: Children generally understand that all living things will eventually die, and that death is total. Understanding and accepting are two different things, however. They may cycle through the normal stages of grief that grownups do: denial, bargaining, anger, guilt, depression and acceptance.  Or they may react in other ways such as withdrawing from friends and family or becoming disinterested in their normal activities.

Children may also react by fearing abandonment, reasoning that if a pet can die, then their parents could die as well.  They often become intensely curious about death and what happens to the body. They may ask for details that you may find uncomfortable to explain. These are questions you should answer in a straightforward, gentle and careful manner.

The follow up column on this topic will detail the recommended ways to explain the death of your pet – as certain approaches can have very negative repercussions.

Call the Second Chance Helpline at 626-2273 to report a lost pet, learn about adopting a homeless pet, or about the SCHS Spay/Neuter Financial Assistance, Volunteer & Foster Care, or other Programs.  Visit our shelter pets online: www.secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Direct Pet Column questions to:  kelly@secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Photo by Real Life Photographs.

Sweetpea the sweet pea

As announced in a previous Pet Column, 2009 marks the 15 year Anniversary of Second Chance Humane Society.  It also marks the complete re-design of our website.  Although still using the same website address: www.secondchancehumanesociety.org, everything else has been significantly upgraded.  We have added new features such as credit card donation capability, a blog to archived weekly Pet Columns, contact forms, and links to our adoptable pets.  Dayzign Graphics, right here in Ridgway, took our deluge of thoughts and ideas and created a very eye-catching website that we are proud of.

You can now donate directly and securely on-line to your favorite Second Chance program, sponsor a homeless pet, or renew your membership.  The revised website also makes it easier to view our adoptable pets, receive updates on events, explore volunteer opportunities, and be informed on all the services and programs that Second Chance offers to our community. 

This project took a great deal of work and we are very pleased with how well it communicates all that we do as an organization.  It also displays a great deal of our volunteer photographer’s pet photos.  Kaycee Clark, of Real Life Photographs, comes to the shelter weekly to capture the unique and varied personalities of all of our homeless pets and these photos are interspersed throughout the website giving it added appeal.

Additionally, the Shelter database has recently been upgraded to a new free system that not only tracks all the medical, health, and historical data of all pets coming in/out of the shelter but integrates pet insurance and microchip identification as well.   We now offer all adopters a free month of pet health insurance for any pet they adopt (all of which are vaccinated, micro-chipped, and spay/neutered).

The new database automatically uploads and manages all adoptable pet profiles to our website and other nation-wide pet adoption websites we are affiliated with – saving us time and money!  As you will see on the website the new adoptable pet profiles are larger and easier to read – which I prefer so that potential adopters can better see my beautiful eyes that are saying, “Take me home with you!”…

My name is “Sweetpea” and I am a gentle natured Boxer-mix looking for my new home.  If you want a loyal, fun, and very loving new family member – I am your girl – check me out on our website today!

Call the Second Chance Helpline at 626-2273 to report a lost pet, learn about adopting a homeless pet, or about the SCHS Spay/Neuter Financial Assistance, Volunteer & Foster Care, or other Programs.  Visit our shelter pets online: www.secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Direct Pet Column questions to:  kelly@secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Photo by Real Life Photographs.

Sugar the Claw Advocat

Greetings Pet Column readers, my name is Sugar – an adoptable cat here at the Second Chance Humane Society Shelter.   For this week’s Column, I wanted to write on the issue of de-clawing, an issue last discussed about two years ago in this Column.  Second Chance believes this topic is critical enough to be revisited and that if more cat parents and adopters were informed of the realities of de-clawing their cats there would be a greater interest in pursuing other alternatives.

At the risk of being too graphic in this family friendly news publication (I will shortly refer you to a few websites for the graphic descriptions if you choose to go there), the procedure of de-clawing is extremely painful and should not be compared to a torn fingernail, as it is actually an amputation.  (Look down at your fingers and think about what it would take to remove your fingernails and you may get a better understanding…

Although you may know some felines that have undergone the surgery and appear fine (recovery period is typically several weeks) keep in mind that we often try to hide our pain and discomfort as part of our survival instinct. 

There are many potential and common complications and negative implications to this surgery which I will briefly summarize as: chronic pain, lameness, joint stiffness, arthritis, as well as behavioral problems which can later emerge like litterbox avoidance & biting (we feel pretty helpless without our claws).  You should also know that our claws can grow back after surgery.  And last, but NOT least, our primary means of defense is removed with our claws, including our ability to climb to safety…

So, I know I speak for all my feline friends and relatives in clearly stating that we don’t like anything about the surgery or its results (did you know are claws also help us to maintain our balance?).  And, there are many simple, pain-free, and less costly alternatives to this procedure, number one being a good ol’ scratching post.  Yup, it is our natural instinct to scratch, it feels soooo good to our muscles and joints and allows us to leave a bit of our scent to mark our “turf”.  We feel emotionally and physically fulfilled through scratching.  However, we also are willing to learn where our people parents do and do not like us to scratch. 

Other alternatives to de-clawing include protecting the furniture that your feline friend is most partial to with various deterrents like sticky strips or mats, and placing scratching posts near the furniture most enjoyed.  Most cats also love to play and interact with our human families and this keeps us distracted from the furniture as well. 

Don’t forget to keep our nails trimmed and, for those kitties who refuse to be trained and are causing serious furniture damage, there are painless soft plastic caps (called Soft Paws) that you can have temporarily placed on our claws to assist in the training process (just make sure we don’t go outside with these on as we will still be defenseless).

So, don’t think I am being a pussy cat about this whole de-clawing issue, every single animal humane agency that I am familiar with has clear statements against this procedure and it is even an illegal practice throughout most of Europe and other feline-sensitive countries.

Other good resources to learn more about de-clawing facts include:

www.de-clawing.com

www.stopdeclaw.com (caution, this one is rather graphic…)

www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/declaw.html

www.catscratching.com

www.amby.com/cat_site/

Call the Second Chance Helpline at 626-2273 to report a lost pet, learn about adopting a homeless pet, or about the SCHS Spay/Neuter Financial Assistance, Volunteer & Foster Care, or other Programs.  Visit our shelter pets online: www.secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Direct Pet Column questions to:  kelly@secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Photo by Real Life Photographs.

Nakita the Tango Dancer

Announcing the Second Chance Humane Society 5^th Annual Pet Adoptathon!  My name is Nakita, a lovely Blue Heeler mix here at the Second Chance shelter – and one of the hosts for this exciting event taking place Saturday May 30^th from 9 AM – 3 PM. 

On this special day the shelter transforms into a festive community gathering place with live music, corn popping on the griddle (aka popping machine), refreshing drinks, fresh baked goods, and pet merchandise.  But most importantly – we hope that many homeless pets will be meeting new forever families as we are celebrated as the loving and loveable beings that we are.

The Pet Adoptathon is a world-wide event that began back in 1995 as a way to promote pet adoption at a larger and collective scale for shelters across the country. Now over two thousand shelters participate in this event across the globe which has resulted in over a quarter million homeless pets finding loving new homes.  Last year in our small community we had ten adoptions in one day.  We are hoping to beat that record this year…

The Second Chance Pet Adoptathon is designed for family and community fun.  All of my shelter-mate cats and dogs will be available to visit and play with (and we are all quite hopeful to find ourselves going to new homes by the end of the day).  You can find us waiting at the Second Chance Shelter on 121 Sherman Street in Ridgway. 

Live music will be provided by Tony Rosario and the “Pour Boyz” right in the front yard of the shelter.  Tony, former member of the Top 40 band, “Firefall” now plays a variety of music and with a variety of musicians and I am looking forward to dancing to his upbeat sounds.  There will also be a doggie obstacle course that I expect to be most skilled at. 

As final encouragement to attend our fun Adoptathon and postpone the un-fun weekend grocery shopping and laundry, the dogs will be available for walks and (leashed) river swims while the cats will be doling out cuddles and purrs.  So, whether you are able to adopt a pet right now or not, we welcome all.  It would make a big difference in our day if you just stopped by for some fresh baked cookies and a quick hi to us and the wonderful Shelter staff.  And did I mention I can dance the tango?

Interested in volunteering for this event?  Contact our Event Planner, Lisa Katz at 729.2586 or lisa@secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Please support our event sponsors: Ridgway Mountain Market and Park Avenue True Value of Montrose.

Call the Second Chance Helpline at 626-2273 to report a lost pet, learn about adopting a homeless pet, or about the SCHS Spay/Neuter Financial Assistance, Volunteer & Foster Care, or other Programs.  Visit our shelter pets online: www.secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Direct Pet Column questions to:  kelly@secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Photo by Real Life Photographs.

Oliver the Kitten

Second Chance Humane Society is celebrating its 15 Year Anniversary this year!!  In preparation for the formal celebration that we are planning to mark 15 years of second chances for hundreds of homeless pets we are revising our mission statement.

As an organization grows and transforms, so must the mission statement to best reflect organizational and community changes, while maintaining relevance to the animals and community that the organization serves.

The evolution of Second Chance has been toward a broader approach to animal welfare issues – well beyond just sheltering pets.  Our focus now encompasses a greater emphasis upon education and prevention, recognizing that in order to accomplish our overall vision of “Loving Homes for All Pets” we must transform and strengthen the human –animal connection altogether. 

Recently, in reviewing and revising our mission statement, we felt it needed to be more succinct and memorable – something that a person could walk away from and still remember.  Thus, our mission statement, last updated in 2007, has evolved from this:

To fulfill the vision of loving homes for all pets through temporarily sheltering, nurturing, and treating orphaned pets until quality homes are secured, while additionally decreasing pet overpopulation through the education and promotion of responsible pet ownership and the human-animal bond.

To the draft statement below, no longer reflecting specifically what we do, but the difference that we make:

Honoring the human-animal bond by promoting responsible pet parenting.

This revised mission statement draft still reflects our purposes, hopes, and dreams.  We also intended it to link to our values, which were re-defined during the development of this new mission statement.  These values consist of four main categories: Animals, Community, Organization, and Ethics and are specified as follows: 

We Value Animals through:

applying an individual approach to pet rehabilitation within a positive nurturing environment

assuring that all adoptable pets are spay/neutered, vaccinated, and micro-chipped

employing a variety of resources to match every adoptable pet with the right home

investing in humane and preventative measures to reduce pet overpopulation issues

We Value Community through:

involvement with and integration within an empowered community

promoting an educated and animal-sensitive community

generating community, private foundation, corporate, and government support

growing volunteer support

greater effectiveness based upon communication and collaboration

assuming environmental responsibility

gratitude for all financial, in-kind, and other support

We Value our Organization through:

developing trained and professional staff and volunteers

promoting teamwork and collaboration

pursuing self-sustainability and fiscal and environmental responsibility

assuring transparency

inspired leadership

efficient operations with defined processes and measurable goals

We Value Strong Ethics through:

being trustworthy

assuring transparency

operating with integrity

honoring diversity

respecting animals, community, and each other

We hope to gain community feedback on this new mission statement and values, so please consider contacting us with your thoughts and ideas, as it is important to us that our mission and values inspire our service community as much as us.

My name is Oliver and I am a 10 week kitten here at the Second Chance Shelter waiting for my new forever home.  There are several of us  kittens “in-waiting” here at the shelter – it is kitten season – so in addition to promoting myself for adoption I want to remind you to spay/neuter your cat!

Call the Second Chance Helpline at 626-2273 to report a lost pet, learn about adopting a homeless pet, or about the SCHS Spay/Neuter Financial Assistance, Volunteer & Foster Care, or other Programs.  Visit our shelter pets online: www.secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Direct Pet Column questions to:  kelly@secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Photo by Real Life Photographs.

"Let's Play Chase!"

Second Chance Humane Society promotes humane and positive behavioral training for your pets, recognizing many varied training theories exist that emphasize additional factors such as relationship, status, respect, etc. But regardless of which training modality you choose you can be assured that anything you try to teach a new learner strengthens in direct proportion to how many times it is rewarded.  And, every time the new learner does the behavior without the reward attached, the behavior weakens (as in becomes a weaker response – not just “doesn’t become a stronger response”). 

Does this mean that you have to reward you pet for every single behavior?  Only when initially teaching the behavior.  After the behavior is well trained, using intermittent reward can maintain its effectiveness as long as there is periodic reward. 

But, “drilling” on a particular behavior – repeating it over and over, without reward, can actually be detrimental to the training process.  For example would you repeat an action over and over again (sitting on the floor and getting up repeatedly) in the absence of intrinsic or extrinsic reward?  Particularly if other interesting stimuli exists that you would prefer paying attention to?  Yet you would ask your dog to do this all the time and expect them to respond with enthusiasm?

If training isn’t fun for dogs or lacks a “pay-off” your efforts act to extinguish a behavior rather than reinforce it.  Thus, “fun” becomes the one standard in training that we can apply to any technique we choose.  Now what is fun for one dog may be scoffed at by another.  You want to “audition” various “reinforcers” such as toys, playing chase, massage, playing fetch, etc.  If you can also come up with creative ways to initiate the reinforcement directly after the desired behavior – bingo – a learned behavior!

In learning the reinforcement that works best for your dog you develop a deeper understanding of her unique personality and quirks.  The special spot he likes to be scratched, the best tone of voice, etc.  Dogs, like people, are one of the few species of animals who play throughout their lifetimes – perhaps one of the reasons we share such a bond with one another. 

Both species are what scientists refer to as “neotenous” – retaining many of our juvenile behavioral traits.  We share a lifelong interest, sometimes obsession, with our “toys” (although a human’s can change form with age transforming from a Fisher-Price boat to a motorized speed boat) and we share a love for balls (although some of yours, such as basketballs and footballs, don’t always fit in your mouths).

Additionally, play reinforces both parties – dog and human, in training exercises, keeping it fun for all.  Given this shared interest of play it truly is underutilized as a reward, while food is over-emphasized.  Myself?   Well I can fly like the wind and am ready to learn anything you want to teach me if it is followed up by a good round of chase.  Come play chase with me in the Second Chance Shelter yard and I will readily come home with you for a lifetime of fun and games!

Call the Second Chance Helpline at 626-2273 to report a lost pet, learn about adopting a homeless pet, or about the SCHS Spay/Neuter Financial Assistance, Volunteer & Foster Care, or other Programs.  Visit our shelter pets online: www.secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Direct Pet Column questions to:  kelly@secondchancehumanesociety.org.  Photo by Real Life Photographs.